Honored Country - Bulgaria
Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe. A country with a strategic location, great nature and attractions that make it an excellent place for both business and tourism. Five pan-European transport corridors pass through Bulgaria, connecting Europe with the Middle East and Asia. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and NATO and expects to join the Schengen area by the end of 2023. The country is also expected to join the euro area in January 2025, which will give a new impetus to investment there.
Greece is a priority foreign economic partner of Bulgaria, taking into account the EU membership of both countries and their geographical position as neighbours. Bulgaria and Greece are actively and successfully developing cooperation under the Cross-border Cooperation Programme ‘INTERREG ‘Greece—Bulgaria 2021—2027’. The priorities for cooperation between the two countries for the new programming period are in line with the Next Generation EU strategy and will focus on innovation, digitalisation, connectivity, social cohesion, decarbonisation, ecology.
Bulgaria is a place that provides all the necessary conditions for the development of innovations in various areas, but especially in the field of digitalization and green economy, automotive industry, fintech solutions, defence, space policy and others. Bulgaria is a regional leader in creating a start-up ecosystem. According to the data for 2022, the country is leading in Southeast Europe with over 1,600 start-ups.
Bulgaria is a country with a stable and predictable business environment, with some of the lowest taxes in Europe and the lowest operating costs, which provides a number of tools to encourage business projects. The main sectors that have seen the largest investments in recent years are high-tech, automotive and auto industries, green technologies, energy and transport infrastructure.
Bulgaria has trained personnel and highly qualified specialists at world level. It has a very well developed system of accredited higher education institutions. Bulgarian students are among the world's top-ranked and traditional winners of international Olympiads in physics, information technology and mathematics. Bulgaria has also built the first in Eastern Europe Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) — a world centre for artificial intelligence and informatics, where some of the world's leading professors currently teach.
Bulgaria has four seasons, unique nature with unique sights, culture and traditions that attract millions of tourists. The varied climate allows for year-round tourism, and the seaside and mountain resorts offer conditions for summer and winter sports. Bulgaria is famous for its healing mineral springs, clean air and quality food. The country ranks in the top 3 for cultural heritage in Europe and is the place where the world's oldest gold treasure was discovered.
